Kněžice (Nymburk District)

50°15′26″N 15°20′8″E / 50.25722°N 15.33556°E / 50.25722; 15.33556Country Czech RepublicRegionCentral BohemianDistrictNymburkFirst mentioned1295Area • Total19.58 km² (7.56 sq mi)Elevation223 m (732 ft)Population • Total558 • Density28/km² (74/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codeWebsitewww.obec-knezice.cz

Kněžice is a municipality and village in Nymburk District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants.

The villages of Dubečno and Osek are administrative parts of Kněžice.

The name is derived from the word kněz (meaning 'priest', but in old Czech also 'prince') or from the surname Kněz, meaning "the village of kněz's/Kněz's people".^[2]

Kněžice is located about 22 kilometres (14 mi) east of Nymburk and 60 km (37 mi) east of Prague. It lies mostly in the Central Elbe Table. The eastern part of the municipal territory lies in the East Elbe Table and includes the highest point of Kněžice, the Na Pískách hill at 292 m (958 ft) above sea level. The stream Záhornický potok originates here and flows across the municipality.

The first written mention of Kněžice is from 1295.^[3]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 1,384 —     1880 1,495 +8.0% 1890 1,495 +0.0% 1900 1,406 −6.0% 1910 1,464 +4.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,447 −1.2% 1930 1,356 −6.3% 1950 988 −27.1% 1961 875 −11.4% 1970 706 −19.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 610 −13.6% 1991 537 −12.0% 2001 485 −9.7% 2011 496 +2.3% 2021 509 +2.6%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

The main landmark of Kněžice is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. It was built in the Baroque style in the 1780s.^[6]